Flat Rock park to open to public in mid-December

Published: Friday, November 15, 2013 at 10:33 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, November 15, 2013 at 10:33 a.m.

On the eve of taking ownership of the former Highland Lake Golf Course, Flat Rock Village Council said Thursday that residents will have to wait until mid-December before they can walk the new park property.

Landowners Course Doctors Inc. will turn over possession of its 66-acre property to the village Friday, but Councilman Dave Bucher said several features need to be in place before the public can access the developing park site.

Council set Dec. 15 as a soft opening date for public access, to give Bucher and others time to install trash cans, benches, signs and a donated doggie waste station. Bucher said the village also needs to cap water and electric meters at two buildings that council plans to remove from the site.

“There’s nothing wrong with saying the 15th and if we get it done earlier, we get it done earlier,” Councilman Don Farr agreed.

On Nov. 1, council approved a preliminary master plan for the park, which eventually will feature three age-specific playgrounds, picnic tables, walking trails, boardwalks through wetland areas and an interpretative center.

Council also endorsed a first-phase development concept that focuses on installing trails, handicapped-accessible restrooms, a covered pavilion, parking lot improvements and building a new entrance road.

But Vice Mayor Nick Weedman suggested Thursday disagreement still persisted on some of those priorities, and he recommended that council convene a work session to revisit the phasing of park improvements once three new members of council are sworn in Dec. 12.

“I think it would be wise to have the ... new council have a retreat somewhere to talk about the park, and what we want to see and what we don’t want to see,” Weedman said. “To me, there’s some controversial items.”

Weedman said he thinks the current parking lot off Highland Golf Drive is sufficient, “but that keeps coming up as part of the initial phase (of development).” He also said council doesn’t need to spend a lot of money on lighting for a dawn-to-dusk park. Councilmen then debated the merits of hard-surface trails versus soft-surfaced ones. Village Administrator Judy Boleman said “there are a hundred different little things that can be argued about,” agreeing a workshop might be the best venue for working out those differences.

Mayor Bob Staton suggested that council appoint a three- to five-person park board or commission in December that will pick up where a park development advisory committee left off. Members could advise council on budgeting, operations, maintenance and the phasing of improvements, he said.

Council adopted a series of rules for park users Thursday, which ban motorized vehicles from trails and walking paths (excluding electric wheelchairs); prohibit skateboards, skates and rollerblades on park roads, walkways and parking lots; require dogs to be leashed at all times; and made “unlawful” any games such as football, soccer or baseball outside of approved areas.

During a public comment period, local businesswoman Eva Ritchie urged council to allocate more funding for the Flat Rock Playhouse. Last December, council gave the nonprofit theater company a “onetime, emergency donation” of $100,000 to pay down some of its debt.

Ritchie said a recent tour group she helped bring here from Virginia spent between $7,000 and $8,000 in the community because of the Playhouse. Noting that local government funding for the Playhouse has been cut by 90 percent this year, Ritchie asked council “to reconsider and give them what they’re really due to help them, because they help me and they help us.”

<p>On the eve of taking ownership of the former Highland Lake Golf Course, Flat Rock Village Council said Thursday that residents will have to wait until mid-December before they can walk the new park property.</p><p>Landowners Course Doctors Inc. will turn over possession of its 66-acre property to the village Friday, but Councilman Dave Bucher said several features need to be in place before the public can access the developing park site.</p><p>Council set Dec. 15 as a soft opening date for public access, to give Bucher and others time to install trash cans, benches, signs and a donated doggie waste station. Bucher said the village also needs to cap water and electric meters at two buildings that council plans to remove from the site.</p><p>“There's nothing wrong with saying the 15th and if we get it done earlier, we get it done earlier,” Councilman Don Farr agreed.</p><p>On Nov. 1, council approved a preliminary master plan for the park, which eventually will feature three age-specific playgrounds, picnic tables, walking trails, boardwalks through wetland areas and an interpretative center.</p><p>Council also endorsed a first-phase development concept that focuses on installing trails, handicapped-accessible restrooms, a covered pavilion, parking lot improvements and building a new entrance road.</p><p>But Vice Mayor Nick Weedman suggested Thursday disagreement still persisted on some of those priorities, and he recommended that council convene a work session to revisit the phasing of park improvements once three new members of council are sworn in Dec. 12.</p><p>“I think it would be wise to have the ... new council have a retreat somewhere to talk about the park, and what we want to see and what we don't want to see,” Weedman said. “To me, there's some controversial items.”</p><p>Weedman said he thinks the current parking lot off Highland Golf Drive is sufficient, “but that keeps coming up as part of the initial phase (of development).” He also said council doesn't need to spend a lot of money on lighting for a dawn-to-dusk park. Councilmen then debated the merits of hard-surface trails versus soft-surfaced ones. Village Administrator Judy Boleman said “there are a hundred different little things that can be argued about,” agreeing a workshop might be the best venue for working out those differences. </p><p>Mayor Bob Staton suggested that council appoint a three- to five-person park board or commission in December that will pick up where a park development advisory committee left off. Members could advise council on budgeting, operations, maintenance and the phasing of improvements, he said. </p><p>Council adopted a series of rules for park users Thursday, which ban motorized vehicles from trails and walking paths (excluding electric wheelchairs); prohibit skateboards, skates and rollerblades on park roads, walkways and parking lots; require dogs to be leashed at all times; and made “unlawful” any games such as football, soccer or baseball outside of approved areas. </p><p>During a public comment period, local businesswoman Eva Ritchie urged council to allocate more funding for the Flat Rock Playhouse. Last December, council gave the nonprofit theater company a “onetime, emergency donation” of $100,000 to pay down some of its debt. </p><p>Ritchie said a recent tour group she helped bring here from Virginia spent between $7,000 and $8,000 in the community because of the Playhouse. Noting that local government funding for the Playhouse has been cut by 90 percent this year, Ritchie asked council “to reconsider and give them what they're really due to help them, because they help me and they help us.” </p><p><i>Reach Axtell at 828-694-7860 or than.axtell@blueridgenow.com.</p>